Check Ballot Ahead of Time in Montgomery County

Election just three weeks away.

The midterm elections will be held coming up Tuesday, Nov. 6 or next week if residents plan is to vote early.

Gilberto Zelaya, outreach coordinator and public information officer with the Montgomery County Board of Elections, suggests voters prepare for the midterms before they vote. “It’s a long ballot, there are numerous contests and lots of questions,” he said.

He said before arriving at the polls is the time to check out a sample ballot — copies have been sent to all registered voters — and decide on choices.

“Read, review and premark the sample ballot,” he said. “Bring it with you.”

That way, he said, the whole process will run more smoothly.

With 21 races, ranging from that of Maryland governor to Montgomery County Board of Education, and five questions, it would be time consuming for voters to make all their decisions in the voting booth.

“The entire ballot is important,” Zelaya said.

And so, Zelaya said, he hopes 100 percent of eligible voters actually do turn up at the polls. “That’s always the goal,” he said. “We always prepare. Our desire is that the entire electorate comes to exercise their constitutional right.”

Generally, he said Montgomery County has about 60 percent turnout for elections. “When people ask me about how many people I expect to vote I say, ‘worry less about how many will come out, worry about you coming out.’”

He did add, though, that weather is a big factor in voter turnout. Bad weather, like a cold and dreary day negatively affects the numbers at the polls.

REGISTRATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR VOTING

To vote in Montgomery County, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen.

Be a Montgomery County resident.

Be 18 years of age by Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018.

“All of this information is available on our website,” Zelaya said. “777Vote.org.”

After voting, Zelaya suggests that thanks be extended to the voting judges, who are volunteering their time to ensure the process runs smoothly.

EARLY VOTING

Potomac Community Recreation Center, 11315 Falls Road is one of 11 early voting centers around the county.